This is part 2 of the One God Over All class.
This class is all about who God is. That Yahweh is our God and that Yahweh is one are truths we must take to heart if we want to think biblically about God. Today we’ll continue our march through the Hebrew Bible, stopping to see how God reveals himself through his ten commandments, the golden calf incident, and the Shema creed. Although the Shema teaches that “Yahweh is one,” some have interpreted the Hebrew word “echad” (translated “one”) to mean “compound unity.” Fortunately, we can easily dispel this misunderstanding by consulting a standard Hebrew lexicon (HALOT). Not only will this episode introduce you to the Shema, but you’ll also learn about the remarkable Jewish legacy of integrating this creed into their daily lives.
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
—— Links ——
- More one God resources and posts available here, including “Five Major Problems with the Trinity” and “The Trinity before Nicea“
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- Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library
- Who is Sean Finnegan? Read his bio here.
Hi again Sean,
Very happy with the new series. I got a question for you though. In the episode you briefly mention Jews not pronouncing God’s name out of respect. Indeed, when reading scripture, praising God or when praying, His name is substituted with Adonai or Elohim. (and outside of those activities with HaShem). With this practical solution, one can be assured he is not using God’s name in vain, thus not breaking this commandment.
However, another related issue is that the pronunciation of God’s actual name (ie the Tetragrammaton) is to some degree unknown. So this has got me thinking; Reasoning from a Christian point of view–where God’s name is often pronounced eg in sermons or worship–if the pronunciation is unknown, chances are you’re not actually pronouncing it correctly. So even in instances where the activity may be praiseworthy, such as reading scripture, would it not be best to stick with the practical custom of substituting God’s name with an alternative (eg Lord) lest you call God by a false name?
Personally I avoid pronouncing God’s name for this reason, just to err on the side of caution. I might be wrong, but in that case I’ve just called God by one of his many titles (Lord), not an issue I would say. However, if I were right, then possibly I have been calling God by a false name all this time.
Clearly you–and most other Christians–view this differently, so can you maybe elaborate on your reasoning regarding whether to pronounce God’s name or substitute it? (maybe I’m just a weirdo)
I really appreciate all the effort you put into your podcast and I pray that God may bless you abundantly for it!